Report: NFL bans teams from charging for playoff tickets before home game is clinched

Wildcard games in Green Bay, Cincinnati and Indianapolis ran the risk of TV blackouts last season. (Tom Lynn/SI)

Last season there were three NFL Wildcard matchups that faced potential local television blackouts when the home teams struggled to sell tickets. Now it may be even tougher for teams to sell postseason tickets in time due to a vote from the league's owners Monday.

In past seasons, teams would have the ability to charge fans for playoff tickets before they was even guaranteed to host a game. That practice is now banned.

Under the old system if the playoff game was never hosted, the paying fans would either be refunded or have the money placed towards next year's season tickets as a credit. Now teams will not be able to charge fans for playoff tickets until a home game is clinched, according to Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Journal.

While it may not lead to more ticket sales for the NFL, it could help the league look more "fan-friendly" in the eyes of the paying customers -- especially for those fans who may already be light in the pocket after the holiday season. The last thing the paying customer wants to do is have money held for a game that may never even take place.